If you are planning a short vacation somewhere, there’s no better place to visit than Italy. Good food, a laid back lifestyle, friendly people and a lot of cultural sites to visit; Italy is a great place to travel solo, with friends, with family or with your significant other. Not long ago I decided to take a trip with my father. I expected it to be a super laid back holiday, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.
We booked flights via RyanAir to catch a flight directly to Bologna, located in the Emilia-Romagna region. Italy is made up of different regions, one of them being the region of Tuscany which is located in the centre of Italy. The plan was to focus the holiday on the magnificent city of Florence, but things turned out a little differently.
Bologna
We spent a day in the historic capital of the Emilia-Romagna region and we enjoyed walking around Bologna’s streets, familiarizing ourselves with the city and visiting some of the top places of interest. Walking in Bologna felt like I went back in time. The architecture was the first characteristic that caught my eye. Bologna boasts some great monuments from renaissance, baroque and medieval times.
You should spend some time in the Piazza Maggiore area, Bologna’s main square. It is particularly beautiful at night. You should visit an outdoor café and enjoy the activity around you.
Consider walking through the old market area within the streets of Quadrilatero which has kept its ancient tradition of trading. Here you will find numerous stores and shops selling local produce such as cheese, oil, vegetables, wine and cured meats. I recommend that you visit a salumeria. Why not buy something to take home with you?
Burn off some of that awesome pasta alla bolognese by hiking to the Sanctuary of San Luca which boasts the longest portico in the world!
If you have enough time in Bologna, consider visiting a few of the following places.
Florence
It was time to head to Florence. The best way to get to Florence is by train. Italy has a very efficient train system and you can book your seats online or physically from ticket machines located in every city’s train station. The capital city of Tuscany and the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence is known as the ‘Athens of the Middle Ages‘ and the city attracts millions of tourists yearly. Walk a little in its streets and you will immediately notice why people visit. The city is a haven for people who appreciate art and culture. I suggest that you take your time and walk around the city and allow yourself time to adventurously discover new places but here are a few sights which you should definitely fit into your itinerary.
The Duomo is possibly the first building that you won’t be able to take your eyes off of. The duomo is a massive cathedral complex known as Il Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flowers) and it is made up of a cathedral, a cathedral square (known in Italian as Piazza) located in the heart of Florence, the baptistery, Giotto’s Campanile which is a bell tower, a Gothic building known as the Loggia del Bigallo and the Opera del Duomo Museum. All of them are worth a visit or at least a photo and they are all located close to each other. In the piazza you will find a number of shops, restaurants and small cafeterias. I recommend that you drop by one of the cafeterias and have an espresso or a cappuccino while you enjoy the view of the massive duomo in front of you.
If you are in the mood for loads of culture and art, drop by the Uffizi Gallery. The museum, located next to the Piazza della Signoria is huge and brilliantly designed. To mention a few, you will have the opportunity to view the works of Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Giotto and Caravaggio. The visit took me a good part of the day but this is highly dependant on the person. You could easily spend a whole day here, so plan ahead. Expect a lot of art, paintings, classical sculptures and work that involves textiles and designs.
I was quite tired after visiting the Uffizi Gallery and since I had experienced a form of culture overload, it was time to head somewhere to relax and enjoy a vista. I headed towards Florence’s famous bridge which is located close by to Uffizi, known as Ponte Vecchio. The bridge is a medieval stone bridge located over the river Arno. On both sides of the bridge you can visit one of the shops, most of which are jewellery stores. The roads leading to Ponte Vecchio give you a good opportunity to capture the perfect photo. If you are crossing the bridge away from Uffizi, you will come across a cafeteria called Gelateria Caffe delle Carrozze. Treat yourself to a delicious ice-cream.
Also boasting some amazing museums is Palazzo Pitti which is located quite close to Ponte Vecchio. It is considered to be the largest museum complex in Florence and it contains a good number of galleries and museums including a porcelain museum, a costume gallery, a modern art gallery, a silver museum and a physical display of royal apartments which you can walk through used by the famous Medici family. Boboli Gardens can be found behind Palazzo Pitti and the place is also worth a visit especially if you are visiting Florence for a few days. The gardens host a vast collection of sculptures which date back to the 16th through the 18th centuries. Roman antiquities can also be found here. An entrance fee is required before entering the gardens and if you will be visiting the museums in the palazzo, look out for the ‘biglietto cumulativo‘ which is basically a ticket to visit all of the museums and the garden.
The one place I highly recommend you visit is Piazzale Mechelangelo. Another square and located a little far out from the centre, you will be able to experience the panoramic view of Florence from the district known as Oltrarno. There is also a bronze cast of David which directly faces Florence and it can be found in the square’s centre, however this is just an additional plus to the awesome view of Florence.
To top things off, part of Florence’s great culture is its food. If you are a meat lover, you need to try what is known as a bistecca fiorentina. Don’t miss out on this t-bone steak which will leave you craving for more. Trippa (tripe) alla fiorentina is also delicious. A starter pasta dish I really enjoyed was Pappardelle al ragù di cinghiale (wild boar). Consider visiting one of these trattorias: Trattoria Osteria da Què Ganzi and Trattoria Sostanza.
Day Trips
The great thing about Tuscany is that there are other famous cities which are very close by and it makes sense to take off from Florence’s train station to visit them. Dedicating a full day to each city should be enough. It would be better if you plan on boarding a train first thing in the early morning as this would allow you to experience the cities at your own leisure and without any time constraints. Keep in mind that certain sites may potentially have very long queues and you will need to factor in travelling time also (going to and coming from).
Pisa
Chances are you’ve heard about the leaning tower of Pisa. You’ve been wanting to take a picture next to it for ages (…and pretend that you’re pushing it), but don’t think that it is the only building worth seeing. Pisa is a relatively small city and everything is in walking distance and definitely manageable in a day or so. Some places include the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Piazza dei Miracoli, Santa Maria della Spina, Pisa Baptistry, Knights’ Square, Camposanto della Carovana, Santa Caterina, San Paolo a Ripa D’Arno, Orto botanico di Pisa and the Domus Galilaeana. In the central part of the city, between the leaning tower and the botanical gardens, you will also find some very good restaurants. Grab yourself a good plate of pasta or a pizza while you’re here.
June is a perfect time to visit Pisa as you will experience a couple of their big festivities. The Luminara which takes place on June 16th (evening), over 70000 candles are lit inside wooden frames and fit into buildings along the Arno river. This is done to bring out the architectural profiles of the buildings. Additionally, the reflection can also be seen in the river itself. You definitely need to be somewhere along the river on this day. On the 17th of June there is also an event known as the Regatta. In the afternoon teams from the four neighbourhoods of Pisa compete against each other in a nautical race.
Siena
Siena is a city which is also located in Tuscany and it also shares similar characteristics with its sister cities. It is famous for its museums, art and cuisine. Apart from its picturesque streets, Siena is known for its horse races which are usually held once a year in the iconic Piazza del Campo. There are several places you can visit including the Palazzo Pubblico and Torre Del Mangia, the Duomo di Siena, Basilica of San Domenico and the Pinacoteca Nazionale. During Christmas time a number of activities and events are organized in Siena including a medieval market where you can buy handicrafts, decorations and food or wine. Music during this period is also a main protagonist and you will may get the chance to listed to the Italian Opera in Siena. Take some time to walk through Siena’s streets. It is impossible to get lost and you will immerse yourself in what daily life feels like in this beautiful and peaceful city.
